ORONO – As the Maine Credit Union League marked its 70th anniversary with the theme “Maine Credit Unions: 70 Years of Giving Back,” the community service and educational outreach initiatives highlighting the ways that Maine’s credit unions gave back last year were honored at a ceremony.

Nine Maine credit unions, including University Credit Union in Orono, were recognized as the 2008 recipients of the Dora Maxwell Awards for Social Responsibility and the Louise Herring Philosophy In Action Awards, a national awards program coordinated by the Credit Union National Association. The winners in each asset category will compete in the National Awards program in the fall.

A Maine credit union has received a first or second place award in the national competition in seven of the past nine years, a record unmatched in the country.

Professionals from the Maine Public Relations Council and Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility judged the awards, which honor credit unions for community or member service efforts during the past year.

In fundraising, Maine Credit Unions raised more than $800,000 for various causes including $366,575 for the Maine Credit Union Campaign for Ending Hunger, $70,000 for Maine Special Olympics, $50,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network and $45,000 for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.

Maine credit unions volunteered more than 23,000 hours, a new record, for community organizations and activities across Maine. As a result of this consistent commitment and dedication to the credit union philosophy of people helping people, Maine is one of the nation’s strongest credit union movements in community service involvement.

The University Credit Union in Orono received second place for the Dora Maxwell Award for Social Responsibility, which was established to encourage credit union involvement in community projects and activities.

The University Credit Union in Orono also received an honorable mention for the Louise Herring Award for Philosophy In Action, which formally recognizes credit unions that demonstrate the practical application of the credit union philosophy in an extraordinary way.